So let’s talk for a minute about the most recent major food scandal. Horse meat being passed off as beef.

Mrs J was not terribly surprised. The fact that many (though not all) companies in the food business – be it producers or distributors, animal or vegetable products – cut corners and “cheat” by using industrial and chemical processes is kind of an open secret. And in that kind of climate of competition, where the law is already stretched to breaking point, there will certainly be people willing to step over the line. Unfortunately.

There’s no excuse for fraud and deliberate mislabeling. At the same time, every day many of us eat a multitude of “legal” foods that have been through processes and containing substances that we’d probably find repulsive if we were made more aware of them. Maybe it’s time to crack down on more than just the horse meat cheats?

And that’s the end of Mrs J’s speech on the horse meat scandal.

You’re welcome.

Today, the only horse we’ll be cooking with is horseradish.

As far as we know, anyway.

Just kidding.

Really.

Get your salmon steaks out of the fridge to let them reach room temperature. Remove any excess liquid. Set your oven to 225°C.

Get the horseradish and mix with the butter. Mrs J used a good teaspoon for about 40g of butter, but really it’s to your own taste. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the rest.

Put some frozen fine haricots verts in an ovenproof dish. Season the greens with salt and pepper and also season the fish well before adding on top.

Get a small tomato (or cocktail tomatoes would work well, if you have them) and cut in half. Add to the dish. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over everything. Save the other half for decoration. Drizzle everything with a little olive oil.

Cut the butter into slices. Put half of it on the salmon, save half in the fridge to serve separately.

Cook in the oven at 225°C for 10-15 minutes. The salmon should be slightly undercooked and the beans should still have a little bit of bite.

Enjoy with the lemon and butter and maybe some mashed potatoes.